Introduction

First Country Research is dedicated to understanding and extracting the fundamental risk of investments based on the information the financial markets provide. Through the application of tools and methods borrowed from statistics and economics combined with a thorough understanding of investment analysis, First Country Research provides powerful insights into the value and risks of asset classes and specific investments. By using First Country Research, investors can optimize their investment portfolios throughout the entire process (generating ideas, implementation, risk monitoring and optimization).

We believe that investors should generate investment ideas based on the (forward-looking) assessment of risks and fundamental factors instead of just using a (backward-looking) statistical analysis of time series. Our philosophy is that it is of significant value to understand and act upon the fundamentals. Or as we like to call it, Risk Management 2.0. More on this can be found in the “Philosophy” section.

Areas of expertise:

• Investment Management: optimizing portfolio’s, Credit Research, Risk Management, etc.;
• Macroeconomics: the relationship between macro-economic factors and financial markets;
• Social Responsible investing and Demographics;
• Big Data: data warehouse, data analysis, advanced data visualization, customized projects.

One of our key products is FCR Interactive. FCR Interactive is a powerful and flexible platform that gives you access to our extensive data set of nearly a hundred economic and non-economic factors that influence asset valuation and risks. Using our knowledge and strong analytical skills, these extensive amounts of data are processed and presented in an efficient and easy to visualize manner. To extract even more value from big data, our experts work together creating customized solutions by using the FCR interactive platform. Here, we work together to create customized views for our clients, who can add their own data, allowing them to manage even larger amounts of data or a greater variety of data sources. By combining and analyzing the entire data set in aggregate, First Country Research creates a huge potential benefit for investors. Our data and analysis will of course always remain a supplement rather than a substitute for making informed investment decisions. It does, however, provide a robust and powerful platform that provides insight into the factors that drive asset prices in the long run, allowing investors to make informed investment decisions timely and efficiently.